BUNNY & CLYDE
When it comes to creating a stylish kids’ room, few people do it better than Bunny & Clyde. We chat to furniture producers and co-owners, Lisa Vos and Mariëtte Bergh, about all things design (and kids)
What got you into kids’ furniture?
We love design, and combining elements of fun, style and versatility that appeal to kids and adults alike. That, and the fact that we never really grew up.
Love the cheeky name Bunny & Clyde – there must be a story there?
While brainstorming, the song Bonnie and
Clyde by Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot started playing. It was an instant lightbulb moment because when Bardot sings “Bonnie” it sounds like “Bunny”. It was perfect as it evokes a suitably vintage theme, and it’s cheeky because it relates to “partners in crime” or, in our case, “partners in adventure”. Within seconds Mariëtte had drawn the two characters that became our logo.
How do you choose the materials you use?
We love wood, a lot. I guess that’s obvious. We love the character of the grain and how every piece of wood is different to the next, making each piece of furniture unique and special. Everything must be of excellent quality, non-toxic, baby-friendly and ecologically sustainable.
A piece of furniture every nursery should have?
Apart from a large cot (that you can use until age three), a comfy rocking chair is something you’ll often find yourself dozing off in with your baby when he or she insists on being held on troublesome nights.
Which furniture piece would you describe as your biggest accomplishment to date?
Our cots are definitely the most innovative — they all end up as super-stylish daybeds, whether you buy the kit or not. Everything we make is intended to look great in any room in the house, not just the nursery.
Mistakes parents often make when designing nurseries?
Parents don’t realise how much time they will spend in the nursery — especially during those first few months, which can be pretty tough. Aesthetically, it needs to be a sanctuary for mom and dad, more so than for baby. A child isn’t a baby for long either, change is rapid and continuous. The furniture and other fixed items should therefore be versatile classics that can transform, remain beautiful throughout your child’s growth to adulthood, or be useful and beautiful enough to be placed elsewhere in the house.
Your favourite colours for a child’s room?
We love monochromatic colours with pops of either bright or ice-cream colours and geometric patterns.
What makes a house a home for you?
Wood (floors, accents and furniture), art, plants and gorgeous colour on the walls, with natural light flooding in.
‘Furniture pieces with a mix of style, artistic vision, durable materials and skilled craftsmanship, are investments. They will not only last you a lifetime, but become heirlooms, too. ’